


family isn't always blood

by mm8



Series: The Science of Uncertainty and the Art of Probability [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Families of Choice, Gen, Implied Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 12:23:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8713831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mm8/pseuds/mm8
Summary: Leonard hates parties. Jim sneaks into the Pukwudgie common room.Set during December 2002.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Bones and Jim are canonically six years apart. This is not my fault.

**_December 2002_ **

 

Leonard was by himself in the Pukwudgie community room. Midterms were over and most of the students were down partying in the auditorium. Leonard had never been one for parties. Everyone tended to be obnoxious, gossiping, pretending to make small talk, or incredibly hormonal. Leonard didn't fit in at parties. He preferred sitting by the fireplace, reading a good book. Jocelyn was downstairs. She had begged him to come along and threw a temper tantrum when he put his foot down. They were irritated now but soon it would be different One of them would end up apologizing first. She'd give him a blowjob, and he'd buy her flowers. All in good time.

 

While everyone was out having fun, Leonard was dreading tomorrow. All of the students would hop on the train and return home for a few weeks for winter break. He hated going back home, to the stuffy old house in Georgia. The silent family dinners, everyone ignoring his No-Maj cousin like the plague, those stupid carols his mother made them all sing, the tense conversations about why Jocelyn wasn't coming over _again_. 

 

His mom was still angry at him for choosing to go the path of a healer, instead of becoming a Quidditch player like his father, or having a career at the Magical Congress like Uncle Pete. When he went home for Thanksgiving, she had barely spoken to him or spared him a glance. The only person in his family that liked him, and he liked in return was his father. 

 

He barely registered that the door to the community area swung open, its old hinges creaking as it went back and forth until it finally closed. Leonard figured it was someone coming back from the party. The footsteps were quiet. He supposed that whoever it was were trying to be polite, not wanting to make a huge ruckus. Leonard went back to his book. 

 

_The untimely death of his wife spurred him to become a greater physician than before. Hippocrates was convinced that Doriana had not perished because she angered the Gods. It would take him many years to convince"_

 

"Hey, Bones."

 

Leonard jumped out of his own skin, his book cascading to the floor, landing upside down and shut tight a few inches away from the fireplace.

 

"Damnit, Jim!" Leonard cursed. "How the hell did you get in here?"

 

Jim was dressed casually, abandoning the school's required clothing of nice clothes and robes. Jim wore a ratty t-shirt for a popular No-Maj rock band, jeans that had an absurd number of holes along with a dirty pair of converse. He had his hands deep in his pockets and was rocking on the heels of his sneakers. "Aren't you not supposed to cuss around younger kids?"

 

Leonard shot him a glare as he picked up his book. "Yeah, well, you aren't exactly an ordinary kid."

 

Jim beamed. "Aww, Bones, that might be the nicest thing you have ever said to me."

 

"You know Bones isn't my name, right?" 

 

"Yeah it is."

 

"No, it isn't."

 

"Yeah it is."

 

"No it _isn't_."

 

"Yes, it _is_."

 

"No, it--- Damnit Jim!"

 

The kid belly laughed so hard he had to grip the back of a chair to keep himself from falling over. "Holy shit! I can't believe it took you that long! I mean it's a classic bit! How did you not know?

 

Leonard smiled, "Hey, I thought kids weren't supposed to curse around their elders?"

 

"Yeah, well," Jim mimicked Leonard's previous response. "You aren't exactly an ordinary old person."

 

Leonard swatted at Jim. "Hey, I take offense to that!"

 

"Whatever," Jim brushed it off. He sank down into one of the large, cozy patchwork armchairs, sitting with his legs criss-crossed. "Our stuff is _way_ nicer than this in Thunderbird. Maybe you guys should get advice from our decorator. Have to admit that this by is super comfy."

 

Leonard pinched the bridge of his nose. "How did you get in here and why are you here?"

 

"Party was lame, but I kissed Lydia Best under a table in exchange for telling me the password."

 

"Jim!" Leonard's face reddened as he yelled. "You can't do that! 

 

The boy raised an eyebrow. "Why not? She got what she wanted and I got want I wanted. She's been following me for weeks, anyway. She says she _looooves_ me." Jim scoffed. "Whatever. Not like any of that is real."

 

"You can't toy with others' emotions like that. It's _wrong_." He grimaced. "She's going to be hurt, even if it is only a crush. Surely your parents--"

 

"Love each other?" Jim snorted, rolling his eyes. "How should I know? My _dad_ ," he made quotation marks in the air. "Died soon after I was born."

 

Leonard instantly regretted asking. He didn't regret scolding Jim on treating the Best kid horribly however. "Shit, kid. I'm sorry; I didn't know."

 

"Don't be. I never knew him. Frank," he sighed heavily. "Frank isn't fit to be a father to nobody. Mom hates him so much that she's always traveling the world. And Frank…" Jim spluttered. "Well that's why Sam left. He didn't want to take anymore crap from him. Frank let him go too. He didn't care about Sam and he doesn't care about me." Jim lowered his voice to a whisper, even though they were the only ones in the room. "I hate Sam sometimes. Ever since he left I seem to have gotten double duty from Frank. He takes his stuff out on me. But I can't hate Sam. I would have done the same thing."

 

Jim was talking in circles, but Leonard got the hint. The implication that Jim's step-father had laid a hand on him… it infuriated Leonard. It clicked, it all made sense now. He'd asked Jim back when they first met at the beginning of the term where he'd gotten the black eye and the yellowing bruise on his cheek. Anyone could have known that the kid was downright lying when he said he'd been in a fist fight. Jim was being abused. _Jim._ He clenched his teeth and curled his hands into fists. Leonard so badly wanted to punch this Frank in the face and kick him in the balls. It wouldn't be enough of a punishment.

 

It wasn't fair that Jim had a horrible home life. No kid deserved that. At least Leonard had been treated decently by his family until two years ago when he told his mother that he planned to go in another profession than she had so carefully plotted for him.

 

An idea struck Leonard.

 

"Are you going home for Christmas?"

 

"Huh?" Jim snapped out of his trance. "Wha--- oh no. I'm not going back. Doesn't seem like there's any point. It'd be me and Frank. That's not Christmas, it's hell. I went back for Thanksgiving. Mom said she was going to be there but bailed at the last minute. Not planning to go back anytime soon."

 

Leonard flinched. He hated to think what Jim's step-dad had done to him. He didn't like it one bit. Despite the age gap, Jim was his friend. He couldn't let him go back to Iowa.

 

Later that night, long after Jim quietly left the community room, far after most of his housemates came back from the party, he pulled out some parchment, quill, and inkwell. He sat on the floor of his room, using his trunk as a makeshift desk. He needed to make this short and he needed to send it tonight.

 

_Mom,_

_I'm staying at school for the holidays. Send dad my love._

_-Leonard_

 

He folded the parchment, once, twice, splitting it in three equal parts. Leonard walked quietly through the castle to the owlry. He'd spotted a few couple making out in dark corners. They paid him no mind and he did the same in return. Once he was at his destination, Leonard picked the owl that was closest to the door, small and brown, gave the animal a treat and the letter to grab. He watched as the owl hooted happily and flew away into the night.

 

Leonard knew that this was for the best. It had to be.

  
_"Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what."_  
_-Unknown_  


**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are amazing and I will never stop asking for them, but getting comments, actual feedback from readers means so much. Taking five seconds out of your time can really make my day.


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